Give mom the gift of good taste

Published: Tuesday, April 30, 2013 at 4:23 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, April 30, 2013 at 4:23 p.m.

If you’re a regular reader of Better Living magazine, you’ll notice the name of this feature has changed from “5 Under $15” to “Imbibe.” That’s because I couldn’t be boxed in anymore by featuring only wines and only those less than $15. While I will continue to include alcohol choices for a budgeting audience, I know you also want to splurge on occasion and I want to help you with that.

By late April each year as the Mother’s Day advertisements appear remind them, my husband and kids ask what I want, and each year, I say the same thing: I want to be left alone. I don’t want to cook dinner; I don’t want to drive them and their friends from Point A to Point B; I don’t want to do laundry; I don’t want to feed the dogs.

This year, I’ve added a material “want”: I want a bottle of wine from this list. I want the most expensive one they can afford, even two if they can’t make up their collective mind (I’ve missed out on many gifts over the years because, according to them, they couldn’t decide what I’d want) – and then I want to be left alone.

If you are a mother who likes wine or have a mother who likes wine, I suggest you do the same.

This list and the tasting notes come from Kelley Morris, who owns Kd Morris Art Gallery & Wine Shop, just before the bridge to Holden Beach. I recently attended one of Morris’s Friday bursting-at-the-seams wine tastings and was in awe of not just the wine choices, but the incredible artwork on display.

These wines, which Morris will feature at a wine tasting just before Mother’s Day (5-7 p.m. May 10), include choices for tight budgets and splurges. They range from $9 to $45 at the gallery and wine shop, 3422 Holden Beach Road.

Aveleda Fonte Vinho Verde, 2011, Portugal, $9. Morris says if you want a fun wine for less than $10, this is sunshine and happiness in a bottle. “Crisp with a little sparkle, this fresh and young white wine does a little dance on your tongue,” she says, “then makes its way to your feet with a tingly flourish.”

2 Cocky Sisters “Estate” Red Blend, 2010, Paso Robles, California, $18. I’m loving blends right now, and this name is a definite sign that my sister, Cindy, and I need to drink it together – while we’re being left alone. It’s an award-winning blend of Mourvedre, Counoise, Grenache, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot and Viognier. “This ready-to-rumble red will bring the swagger and strut back into your step,” Morris says. The label says to “sip it for divine wild pleasure and pure adult fun” – not that my sister and I need any encouragement.

Freemark Abbey Chardonnay, 2011, Napa Valley, California, $26. If the Aveleda already referenced is sunshine in a bottle, this wine is Caribbean sunshine in a bottle, with fruit flavors of tangerine and honey and spices like coconut, vanilla and butterscotch (I know, you want it this instant, right?).

Luca Pinot Noir, 2009, Mendoza, Argentina, $30. Morris says this velvety wine will make you want to lounge around in your satin pajamas on Mother’s Day “for a total sense of luxury.” It offers up “an alluring bouquet of cherry blossom, strawberry, raspberry, smoke and incense.”

Lust Zinfandel, 2010, Lodi, California, $45. Morris, clearly a sex goddess writer in addition to being a talented artist and wine sommelier, says this about Lust Zin: “Black as night in the glass, this provocative wine is dense and rich. Close your eyes and give in to its sexy appeal, which showcases a lusty chocolate cherry truffle.”

For more on Morris’s wine shop and gallery, check out her website: www.kdmorris.net/

<p>If you're a regular reader of Better Living magazine, you'll notice the name of this feature has changed from “5 Under $15” to “Imbibe.” That's because I couldn't be boxed in anymore by featuring only wines and only those less than $15. While I will continue to include alcohol choices for a budgeting audience, I know you also want to splurge on occasion and I want to help you with that. </p><p> By late April each year as the Mother's Day advertisements appear remind them, my husband and kids ask what I want, and each year, I say the same thing: I want to be left alone. I don't want to cook dinner; I don't want to drive them and their friends from Point A to Point B; I don't want to do laundry; I don't want to feed the dogs. </p><p>This year, I've added a material “want”: I want a bottle of wine from this list. I want the most expensive one they can afford, even two if they can't make up their collective mind (I've missed out on many gifts over the years because, according to them, they couldn't decide what I'd want) – and then I want to be left alone. </p><p>If you are a mother who likes wine or have a mother who likes wine, I suggest you do the same.</p><p>This list and the tasting notes come from Kelley Morris, who owns Kd Morris Art Gallery & Wine Shop, just before the bridge to Holden Beach. I recently attended one of Morris's Friday bursting-at-the-seams wine tastings and was in awe of not just the wine choices, but the incredible artwork on display. </p><p>These wines, which Morris will feature at a wine tasting just before Mother's Day (5-7 p.m. May 10), include choices for tight budgets and splurges. They range from $9 to $45 at the gallery and wine shop, 3422 Holden Beach Road.</p><p>Aveleda Fonte Vinho Verde, 2011, Portugal, $9. Morris says if you want a fun wine for less than $10, this is sunshine and happiness in a bottle. “Crisp with a little sparkle, this fresh and young white wine does a little dance on your tongue,” she says, “then makes its way to your feet with a tingly flourish.”</p><p>2 Cocky Sisters “Estate” Red Blend, 2010, Paso Robles, California, $18. I'm loving blends right now, and this name is a definite sign that my sister, Cindy, and I need to drink it together – while we're being left alone. It's an award-winning blend of Mourvedre, Counoise, Grenache, Syrah, Cabernet Franc, Petite Verdot and Viognier. “This ready-to-rumble red will bring the swagger and strut back into your step,” Morris says. The label says to “sip it for divine wild pleasure and pure adult fun” – not that my sister and I need any encouragement.</p><p>Freemark Abbey Chardonnay, 2011, Napa Valley, California, $26. If the Aveleda already referenced is sunshine in a bottle, this wine is Caribbean sunshine in a bottle, with fruit flavors of tangerine and honey and spices like coconut, vanilla and butterscotch (I know, you want it this instant, right?). </p><p>Luca Pinot Noir, 2009, Mendoza, Argentina, $30. Morris says this velvety wine will make you want to lounge around in your satin pajamas on Mother's Day “for a total sense of luxury.” It offers up “an alluring bouquet of cherry blossom, strawberry, raspberry, smoke and incense.”</p><p>Lust Zinfandel, 2010, Lodi, California, $45. Morris, clearly a sex goddess writer in addition to being a talented artist and wine sommelier, says this about Lust Zin: “Black as night in the glass, this provocative wine is dense and rich. Close your eyes and give in to its sexy appeal, which showcases a lusty chocolate cherry truffle.” </p><p>For more on Morris's wine shop and gallery, check out her website: www.kdmorris.net/</p>